The United States, China, and Russia are in a frantic race to build the first nuclear reactor on the moon.
Sean Duffy, the new administrator of NASA, revealed that the United States is preparing to install an American nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030.
The British newspaper, the Daily Mail, reported that NASA has allocated more than $7 billion for lunar exploration.
NASA's administrator called for rapid action to establish a nuclear reactor on the lunar surface as a "future lunar economic boost."
NASA was asked to build a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the Moon before the end of this decade.
NASA had previously planned to install a 40-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the Moon within the same timeframe.
Duffy gave the agency 30 days to appoint an official to oversee the process and 60 days to issue a request for proposals from commercial companies for the project.
The Daily Mail noted that this project could be the backbone of a permanent lunar base's power supply, as a permanent human presence on the moon could be ensured without nuclear power, due to the lunar darkness and ice.
Duffy warned, "The country that initiates this first could declare a no-entry zone, which could significantly hinder the United States from implementing its planned Artemis presence if it isn't there first."
China and Russia
The United States is not the only country seeking to build the first nuclear facility on the Moon.
Last May, Russia and China signed a memorandum of cooperation to build their own nuclear reactor on the Moon, setting a 2036 completion date for the project.
Beijing and Moscow plan to build a nuclear reactor to power the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). According to the latest plans, the project is scheduled to be completed in 2036.
The Russian space agency Roscosmos said in a statement at the time: "The station will conduct basic space research and test technologies for long-term unmanned operation, with the potential for a future human presence on the Moon."
The station will be a permanent base located within 100 kilometers of the lunar south pole, with participation from 17 countries.
This will be preceded by China's upcoming Chang'e-8 mission, which will be its first human landing on the lunar surface.
Who will be first?
But the concern for the United States, Russia, and China is that the first country to begin construction could effectively claim the moon as its own territory, according to the Daily Mail.
National space activities are governed by the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which stipulates that space is not subject to the ownership of any nation.
However, Washington has adopted a new interpretation of the law. These agreements grant the signatory state the right to establish "safety zones," areas that no other member state may enter or use without the permission of the "owner."
Under these laws, the first country to reach a part of the moon will gain exclusive use of it.
Experts have warned that these "safe zones" could lead to a risky space race, especially since China and Russia are not obligated to respect US exclusion zones because they have not signed the Artemis Accords.
"We are clearly heading towards a space boom," said Dr. Fabio Tronchetti, a space law expert at Northumbria University.
He continued, "The United States is trying to move quickly and reach the moon first, at least before China and Russia, so that it can impose the rules of the game in its favor."
Tronchetti emphasized that international law "does not recognize the feasibility" of US demands, noting that it is trying to "force China to accept rules that are in Washington's interests."
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